Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Live this morning from Berry Springs for the world famous
Crocodile Races. And joining me on the line this morning
is the Opposition leader Selena Yubo.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
Good morning to you, Selena.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
Good morning to you, Katie, Good morning to listeners. And
hope everyone gets a little bit of luck if they're
having a punch today for the Melbourne Cup.
Speaker 1 (00:17):
I'm going to get your tips later on, Selena, if
you've got any, But first off, let's talk about the
really serious issue that is unfolding well overnight. We know
that a code yellow has been called at both Royal
Darwin and Palmerston Hospital due to an increase in the
number of patients requiring acute care. NT Health has highlighted
the issue of aged care, with forty four patients currently
(00:40):
occupying beads in hospital due to no aged care facility. Selena,
we know that the EOI went out towards the end
of last week. I believe it was for the age
care facility, the new Age Care facility. But first off,
can I just get your reaction to these code yellows
being called.
Speaker 3 (01:00):
Code yellows, as we know, is a tool for our
medical professionals to manage some of those pressures like what
we've seen just recently, and I think it's a good
thing to show and highlight that there are processes in
place to make sure that Territorians who are receiving health
care through our system are looked after and a prioritizer
(01:22):
just as they should be by our medical professionals. Unfortunately,
in the last term when labors in government, the opposition
the CLP, did politicize code yellows. We're not interested in that, Katie.
We just want to make sure people get the care
that they need through our health care and that our
professionals get the support in some very pressurized and very
difficult circumstances and sometimes very complex circumstances in caring for Territorians.
(01:45):
So we're not interested in politicizing that from our labor team, Katie.
But I think that if there's a way to be
able to support and to highlight some of those needs
for our professionals in the healthcare system to better support Territorians,
I think that's a positive. So thank you to those
great staff who do an amazing job, not just day in,
day out, but especially when there are those pressurized times
(02:07):
like there is when they have to call a code yellow.
Speaker 1 (02:09):
Yeah. Look, it's a tough one and I agree with you.
I think we all need to get on the same
page when it comes to health.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
We need well.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
I mean, we have heard the AMA week after weeks
saying that we need additional funding for our Northern Territory hospitals.
I mean, this EOI is obviously a good thing. But Selena,
there will still be people listening this morning who are
going We've been in this situation with age care patients
taking up beds in both Royal Darwin and indeed Palmeston
(02:37):
Hospital that should have been in an age care.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Facility years ago. Why didn't Labor act faster?
Speaker 3 (02:45):
Yeah, Katie, some of the work that Labor did when
we were in government. We allocated twelve million dollars to
the land servicing and planning in design of a new
age care facility in and around the Darwin Hospital sorry
Darwin Palmerston Hospital precinct. That money has been scrapped out
of the colp's budget. If it's still in there, we'd
(03:05):
love to see where it is. But I think it's
highly critical that we see this project move and that
land servicing to be able to prepare, to be able
to probably people might hate this term, but be shovel
ready for that very important project for the non territory,
particularly the top end, which we know has a majority
of the territory's population in Darwn and Palmerston. Having an
(03:27):
age care facility for our seniors territory and so those
who near that extra care is critical to ensuring that
their health and wellbeing is looked after. Now that twelve
million dollars has disappeared under the colp's first budget.
Speaker 4 (03:40):
Love to see and understand why they why they are
not putting that money.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
Towards this story.
Speaker 2 (03:45):
Is that what was that twelve million dollars flag for?
Speaker 3 (03:48):
So it was land servicing and design Katie for the
age care precinct which was identified the best parcel of
land to be able to use and to get that centerut.
The age care center up and running would be that
Parmeston Hospital precinct. So that's the money that we allocated
when Labor was in government. It's now disappeared and being
cut from the colp's budget, and we find ourselves now
(04:11):
in a position where the CLP's trying to deflect some
of that responsibility where they could be doing that preparation
continuing to focus on an area of significance and particular
concerns for territories, which is age and disability care. So
I think we need to make sure and put that
pressure back on the territory government to make sure they're
doing their bit. We also need the federal government, which
(04:34):
we've heard some of those allocations around the EOI. I
think that's really important too, But we need to make
sure that all of our governments are working together for
that very important facility.
Speaker 1 (04:45):
All Right, I'll try and find out what the go
is with that twelve million Selena. We discussed on the
show yesterday. A maternity forum was held over the weekend.
Our Birth, Our Voice. It was the community led forum
for women to share their stories about what families need
from maternity services in the Northern Territory. I understand you
were there on the weekend. What did you take from
(05:06):
that forum?
Speaker 3 (05:08):
Yeah? I did attend, Katie. I just want to say
that the women who spoke and told their stories some
you know, very sensitive, very powerful and emotional stories. It
was an honor to be able to hear community members
share that. Some of the stories were literally heartbreaking, are
very emotional. But the fact that we've got people not
(05:30):
just women, but people from across the community here in
the NT who are wanting to work together for some
more of that spotlight on maternity services to improve. It's
not just about the private hospital maternity services closing. That's
been one big aspect of course, but maternity services across
the Northern Territory need to have more work and more support.
(05:53):
And I think, you know, whenever there is a grassroots
and ground ups well than the government, whatever governments they are,
absolutely have to listen and to take into account. One
of the huge takeaways from that forum to me, Katie,
was the real emphasis on continuity of care, which is
basically when women and families are seeing the same doctor,
(06:14):
same maternity wife, same group of health professionals in their
pregnancy journey. And that's really important and that came out
with all of the speakers, with all of the conversations.
So I think more emphasis on there were five key
priorities for that group, more emphasis on how can government,
whether it's territory government federal government, support those five key
(06:36):
priorities because they have come directly from the community, Katie.
It's not a political thing. It comes directly from the
community and it will affect every single family across the
non territory.
Speaker 1 (06:46):
Selena as a former health minister and following on from
the discussions that have been had, you know at that forum,
but also over the discussions that have been had really
since the maternity ward at the private hospital close.
Speaker 2 (07:00):
What do you think.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
The reason is that we're seeing the additional pressures on
maternity services at the hospital.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
At the moment.
Speaker 3 (07:10):
Yeah, and I had the health portfolio for eight months.
Some of the areas that I learned a lot about
was maternity services. Katie, particularly in regional services across the
nt Tennant Creek unfortunately doesn't have any maternity services. I'm
so blessed in Catherine. I've had such amazing care for
me and my family with the maternity services in Katherine.
(07:33):
I know norlan Boy is a bit of a hub
for the East Darnham region, but a lot of women
and families do still need to go either to Katherine
or Darwin to birth. And then we have that great
regional hospital there in Palmerston which does have some great facilities,
but unfortunately not the staffing to be able to have
the birthing suites available in Arleston to perhaps take some
(07:54):
pressure off Darwin so there's a lot of moving parts
there which I learned in a very short amount of time.
But ultimately, if there's more ways to be able to
support some of those key priorities which have come through
the Our Birth, Our Voice forums and again from families
and professional who are involved with their experience some of
the many decades in maternity service, Katie, being able to
(08:18):
get some.
Speaker 4 (08:19):
Of those medium and long term ass you underway in train,
I think will make a huge difference not just in
the next year or so, but for maternity services for
the next couple of decades in the NT.
Speaker 3 (08:32):
I think it's really critical. We want families, we want
women to feel safe and to be able to birth
here in the Northern Territory, if not at home, close
to home, if not on country, close to country, I
think this would be something that could really make a
big difference, not just for our current population, but attracting
people to the territory in the long run as well.
Speaker 2 (08:53):
Selena, a couple of quick ones.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
We know that we've grappled with domestic violence for a
long time here in the Northern Territory. Now in New
South Wade, survivors of domestic and family violence are going
to be able to receive an alert when an alleged
perpetrator is released from custody. It's part of a new
digital pilot program to launch in New South Wales now.
According to the ABC DV Notify, it's a joint federal
(09:17):
and state government led initiative. It's going to provide real
time text and email updates from the time that a
violent offenders arrested through to their final sentencing. Now. The
app was developed with input from victim survivors to ensure
that it was trauma informed, victim centered and culturally responsive.
The Chief Minister said on the show yesterday this is
(09:38):
something that she will consider. Do you think that it
could be an effective move?
Speaker 3 (09:43):
I think this is an interesting one, Katie. I think
a territory trial could be quite a positive way to
be able to support victim survivors. Of course, if we're
looking at something that comes from another jurisdiction, we always
need to keep in mind the Northern Territories context, particularly
the remoteness and being able to communicate with people not
(10:05):
just because of distance, but also in first language, whether
that's a multicultural language, whether that's the First Nations language,
where that's English, and being able to really tailor something
here in the NT. So if that's something that the
CLP government is willing to look at, that would be
very open to being able to support, provided it is
appropriate for the Northern Territory.
Speaker 2 (10:25):
All right, another quick one.
Speaker 1 (10:26):
We know that last week obviously, we learned that a
parliamentary committee has recommended the Northern Territory government finished building
the eight hundred and twenty million dollar do In Shiplift project,
that is, despite holding no right to the revenue that
it's going to generate. We know that the Public Accounts
Committee released its report into the embattled shiplift on Thursday,
(10:47):
providing five recommendations, including the project proceed with stricter cost
controls Selena. How was the shiplift able to get to
this point under labor.
Speaker 3 (11:00):
Katie? Obviously, the shiplift is a project that has been
worked on over multiple years. The shiplift will remain a
government owned asset, so I think in terms of being
able to provide certainty to territories that that particular economy
economic project will be in territory in's hands. That's the
(11:21):
project that sits before us, unless, of course, the Coop
decided to change it. It will be a world class facility,
and the idea of being able to bring in the
dollars through another diversified project for the NT I think
is a good story for our economy. Being able to
attract not just a domestic line of work but also
(11:44):
international you know, defense capability. It will really grow the
territory in terms of being a world class facility, but
it will also be a common user facility KD. So
that means there's an opportunity for equal use and fear
use by service providers, and that's particularly governed by legislation.
(12:04):
So being able to have the ability to service not
just one exclusive group, but multiple entities that would come
and use that shiplift, I think is a positive for
the territory.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
Well, Selena, before I let you go any tips for
the Melbourne Cup today.
Speaker 3 (12:22):
I have to be very honest. I have not even
looked at any of the races. I'm out traveling in
Jabaru and listening to stakeholders out here, and I only
kind of thought of the Melbourne Cup today when I
was listening to some of the different radio stations. So
good luck to everyone who is involved in the punt.
But I'll be saving my dollars, which means that I
won't be having a flatter today. But I do wish
(12:44):
they've run all the best of whatever tips that they
may have for today's World Cup.
Speaker 1 (12:48):
I'll give you one hot tip. There is at least
one female jockey. I know, Rob one of our listeners
will give me some further information if I'm wrong and
if there's actually more, but we have got at least
one female jockey writing half yours if I understand correctly,
Yes is Jamie Mellum. She is writing half yours, So
(13:08):
that might be where you have a look. Although Selena,
it doesn't sound like you're heading to theda b anytime soon.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
If you're at.
Speaker 3 (13:15):
Anything to get you know, to support women in the
great professions that they lead. I think it's great that
I did hear an interview with that jockey yesterday, so
that was pretty cool hearing about the you know what
they're getting ready for. It's the big day today, so yeah, home,
everyone has a great flutter and I know there's croc
races and frog races all over the territory. They would
(13:35):
be my cup of tea definitely to go and watch
one of those.
Speaker 1 (13:38):
Absolutely, I'll tell you what you've got to get out
here next year.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
I reckon Selena. It's lots of fun at.
Speaker 1 (13:42):
The Crocodile Races. Great to speak with you as always
this morning. I really appreciate your time.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
Thank you so much, Katie. Good luck if you have
a flutter as well.